New opera company Opera Undone to launch with a performance of Bellini’s I Capuletti e I Montecchi, at the Marlborough Theatre, Brighton on Wednesday, March 5
Based on the original 13th Century manuscript that gave birth to Shakespeare’s play, the opera is set in a Medieval empire where the strict bonds of blood are exposed to the power of love and sexual attraction.
Poignant romantic harmonies release the full weight of human desire, as around the two lovers armies gather their troops to avenge their dead at the ultimate price.
Event: I Capuletti e I Montecchi
Where: The Marlborough Theatre, 4 Princes Street, Brighton.
Tim and Tim have been running a gay B&B in Edinburgh with some long-term lodgers who give their old house a lively character.Into this B&B come two young men from Slovakia, possibly a couple. But there is something strange about them.Before long, Tim and the nosy lodgers are uncovering a secret nobody could have expected. In the end not a single stone of the old B&B is left in its original place…
This new novel by Marten Weber is a gripping noir thriller of sorts, with some unpleasant shadowy undertones, and without giving too much away of the intricate and tightly woven plot the story keeps you turning the pages to find out the next twist and engages you with the growing anxiety of the protagonists as they struggle to understand, adapt and deal with the profound changes wrought in their lives by these two sexy, fit lads from abroad.
With a keen ear for local dialect and regional characterization along with a searing and pin precise take on modern /white male/ gay life and inter dependant relationship politics this story of how the unexpected and unpredictable intrusion of some sexy young men into a rather comfortable gay life disturbs everything & everyone. The resulting ripples which build up eventually turn into a raging tide which sweeps everything known away and leaves folks beached, after an emotional storm grasping and gasping for some meaning. We’ve all been there, Dear Reader,I know, shhhh I know. The book left me thinking about the nature of responsibility in ones own life. Mirror, mirror on the wall, just who is the biggest monster of them all?
It’s a little arch, but then so am I, and the age and background of the lead gay characters demand this and I know a few men like that too, although am not too keen on them……however, the dialogue keeps the narrative bouncing along at a keen pace and this detracts from the occasional rut along the way. There’s enough steamy activity to keep the attention of the occasional reader too.
You can visit the authors website here to see the many other books of interest to gay men (and other reader of quality erotic fiction) that Weber has written
The title is not, as far as i know anything to do with one of my favorite Sesame Street songs, however one can dream…..and yes, that was Ray Charles.
Anyway, back to the book:
So if you like a well-pitched and entertaining story which hovers between the meanness of the human spirit and the trembling fragility of the hope of loves triumph then perhaps ‘In the mirror, A monster’ is the book for you this spring. Out now, paperback.
Lunch Positive to host two workshops during March which will be run by Tim Procter from THT and held at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church.
• Personal Independent Payments: Friday March 7, 2pm – 4.30 pm
• Employment & Support Allowance: Friday March 14, 2 pm – 4.30 pm
The government has made key changes to the main benefits for sick and disabled claimants.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is being replaced with Personal Independence Payments (PIP). All DLA claimants will be required to undergo a new assessment to transfer from DLA to PIP from 2015. If you are experiencing health problems and want to find out how to qualify for PIP this workshop will tell you.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) has a difficult Personal Capability Assessment requiring claimants to fill an ESA50 form which may be followed by a medical examination. These assessments need to be repeated for most claimants annually.
Both PIP and ESA have hidden tests with a point scoring system. Learning about the underlying tests and point scoring can help claimants approach the assessment with more confidence and help them decide what issues they need to raise.
Jimi ‘Poster Boy’ Manuwa shows a soft spot for animals in Ink, Not Mink Campaign.
He’s undefeated in the ring, and the next opponent he’d like to knock halfway to the moon is the fur industry.
Flexing his ultra-chiselled and amply tattooed torso next to the caption “Ink, Not Mink”, UFC light-heavyweight fighter Jimi ‘Poster Boy’ Manuwa appears in a brand-new ad for PETA.
The ad concludes, “Fight Cruelty to Animals. Say No to Fur and Fur Trim.”
Jimi said: “Animals beaten, gassed and electrocuted for fur are never given a choice and are powerless to defend themselves, anyone interested in fighting animal abuse can join me by refusing to wear fur.”
In the wild, animals caught in steel-jaw traps can languish for days, slowly dying from hunger, thirst, disease, blood loss and predation. Some, especially mothers with babies, chew through their limbs in a desperate attempt to escape. Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy cages before they are beaten, gassed or anally electrocuted. Sometimes, they are even skinned while still alive. More than 2 million cats and dogs are skinned in China every year – many while still conscious.
Nigerian-born Manuwa wants to be the first Brit to win a UFC belt, and with a fighting record of 14 fights and 14 wins – 13 by knockout, one by submission – he is well on his way.
Manuwa is ranked 11th in the world in the light-heavyweight division and is currently training for his biggest opportunity to date, when he’ll face Alexander Gustafsson in the headline fight for the UFC’s London event on March 8.
Manuwa joins rugby star Danny Cipriani, strongman competitor Patrik Baboumian, England cricketer Jade Dernbach, squash champion James Willstrop, basketball star Metta World Peace, boxer ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, marathon runner Fauja Singh, ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll and fellow UFC fighters Jake Shields and Mac Danzig in teaming up with PETA or its affiliates to encourage kindness towards animals.
The Home Secretary,Theresa May pays flying visit to the Sussex Beacon shop in St James Street on Friday.
Simon Dowe, Home Secretary Theresa May and Simon Kirby MP
She was accompanied by Simon Kirby MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven and Simon Dowe CEO of the Sussex Beacon who took the opportunity to explain to her about the important work undertaken for people with HIV at the Sussex Beacon’s in patient unit.
Simon said: “It was great that Simon Kirby Patron of The Sussex Beacon brought Theresa May to one of The Sussex Beacon charity shops. Her recognition of our work with men women and families affected by HIV is a very welcome boost to volunteers, staff and service users.”
Earlier in the day she visited John Street Police station to discuss with Sussex Police the under reporting of Hate Crime nationally. She finished off her visit to Brighton at the Aids Memorial where she laid red roses and met the memorial’s sculpture Mark Romany Bruce and Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund who commissioned the memorial for the LGBT community in Brighton and Hove.
New figures published by Public Health England (PHE) show 24 cases of confirmed measles were reported during the final quarter of 2013.
This compares to 103 cases in the previous quarter and 309 cases from the same quarter in 2012.
The numbers of confirmed measles cases in England hit the highest levels since 1995 during the first quarter of 2013, with 587 confirmed cases reported – 10 to 16 year olds were the most affected.
The increase prompted PHE, NHS England and the Department of Health to announce a national catch-up programme in April 2013 to improve MMR vaccination uptake in teenagers.
The main objective of the national catch up programme was to ensure that at least 95% of children aged 10 to 16 years in England received at least one dose of MMR vaccine by September 30, 2013. A PHE evaluation found that by August 2013, approximately 95% of 10 to16 year olds in England had received at least one dose of measles containing vaccine.
In addition to measles, there were 520 laboratory confirmed cases of mumps with onset in the last quarter of 2013, similar to the 506 cases reported in the previous quarter. There was a total 3,524 cases of mumps confirmed in 2013. Three cases of rubella were confirmed in the last quarter of 2013, the same as in the previous quarter, bringing the total infected individuals for the year to 12.
Dr Mary Ramsay
Dr Mary Ramsay, PHE’s head of immunisation said:“Measles is a potentially fatal, but entirely preventable, disease so we are delighted that measles cases have recently decreased in England.
“The best way to prevent measles outbreaks is to ensure good uptake of the MMR vaccine across all age groups, so it’s heartening to see the success the catch-up programme had in ensuring 95% of 10 to 16 year olds in England received at least one dose of the vaccine.
“Although mumps has increased a little from the same quarter of last year the numbers remain much lower than the levels seen in 2004/5, when outbreaks were reported in several universities. This probably reflects the fact that most young people now attending university were eligible for two doses of MMR as children.”
Guest Director Hofesh Schechter has launched the programme of events for the Brighton Festival 2014.
Guest Director Hofesh Schechter
Hofesh Schechter has been responsible for shaping this years programme of events for the three week event beginning May 3 until May 25.
This years Festival is to include a diverse genre of events and arts over the 3 weeks with the UK premiere of Opus No.7 from Russian theatre director Dmitry Krymov, William Forsythe’s hypnotic Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same Time No.2, and a new co-commission by Yinka Shonibare MBE called The British Library.
2014 heralds the return of international theatre companies Berlin and Vanishing Point to Brighton as well as an eclectic mix of names across contemporary music from Peaches to Emmylou Harris.
Hofesh Shechter said:“Brighton has a magic to it that no one can explain. Finding a place where one can develop and grow artistically is a delicate thing, an important thing. Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival have been an inspiring, energising and encouraging place for my company and me in the last 5 years. We’ve enjoyed the buzz, the lightness, energy, and the unexplainable essence of Brighton. We have resided in its cultural heart – Brighton Dome, and the pulsating artistic heart of Brighton Dome is the annual Brighton Festival. It’s been a privilege to have been part of the planning for this inspiring event and I feel a rush of excitement about sharing our programme with audiences in Brighton and beyond.”
This year’s Brighton Festival will stage 448 performances and 147 events in 34 venues across the city. In total there will be 37 premieres, exclusives and co-commissions and 26 free events.
For a full programme, and booking information, CLICK HERE:
MindOut the LGBT mental health project starts new course for older people.
MindOut’s wellbeing project MindOut for Each Other is developing short courses looking at how we can live well as LGBT people. The first of the series will be Living Well as an Older LGBT Person, starting in March.
The course consists of 2 workshops of 2½ hours long.
They will be exploring:
· Ways to look after our mental and physical wellbeing as we get older
· Managing the changes we experience as older LGB&T people
· Thinking about what difference age makes to us
· What we want from our communities
· How we can mind out for each other
The course will be facilitated by out LGBT trainers and will be run at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton, BN2 1RL.
Course dates are Fridays, March 28, from 10.30am-13.00pm and Friday, April 4, from 14.00pm-16.30pm.
Anyone over 50 is welcome.
For further details and to register on the course contact MindOut on 01273 234839 or email:
Field Place in Worthing plays host to a sumptuous night of indulgence on Saturday, March 22 as it welcomes Worthing’s first ever Out and Proud Ball.
Out and Proud Ball
A night of vintage swing and cabaret is planned with internationally acclaimed ‘alternative’ cabaret acts adding spice to the night and providing a combination of burlesque and some ‘tongue-in-cheek’ naughtiness!
The night will be compared by renowned swing singer Paul Roberts.
The ticket price of £40 includes a welcome drink, a three course dinner (choices to be presented at time of booking), top notch cabaret and the chance to strut your stuff on the dance floor!
The event, supported by Worthing Pride, has limited ticket availability.
To book tickets telephone Field Place on 01903 244034.
James Spencer, event and functions co-ordinator for Field Place, is helping to organise the ball. He tells Gscene why he felt that a ball of this kind would prove successful in Worthing.
So what brought you to Worthing? “I moved to Worthing two years ago, joining friends and family already living here. I really enjoy living in Worthing but when it comes to nightlife and entertainment, choices are extremely limited. With Brighton in close proximity (the ‘gay capital of the UK’), I am used to going out of town but it’s great on this occasion to be hosting something right on my own doorstep!
Why a gay ball? “We thought it was really important to offer something to part of our community that until now has been under-represented within Worthing’s calendar of events. We have already received strong support from the local gay community and tickets are selling fast. The aim is to offer a safe and welcoming environment in which people can relax without fear of being judged and without feeling uncomfortable about simple things such as holding hands with a partner.”
So whats going to happen on the night?“This is a chance for guests, whatever their sexual orientation to dress up and enjoy a night of vintage swing and cabaret. There will be a combination of burlesque acts and some ‘naughty but nice’ dance routines designed to tantalise, captivate and leave you wanting more! The night is compared by renowned swing singer Paul Roberts who will keep you entertained throughout the course of the evening with some show stopping swing tunes.”
Last month as their contribution to LGBT History Month, Allsorts Youth Project staged their second LGBT Children, Young People and Families Day.
On the big day Allsorts ran a half day conference titled Exploring Intersectionality attended by practitioners, community members and politicians.
The aim of the event was to educate and celebrate complex and diverse identities and help delegates network and build bridges connecting them.
The conference included a variety of workshops focused on supporting trans and gender variant young people and children; creating LGBTU friendly safe spaces in organisation; intersectionality including BME, faith, neighbourhoods and disabilities and developing social and digital media for small organisation.
This followed by a panel discussion focused on intersectionality with a diverse representation of panellists discussing the issues raised in the workshops.
The conference was followed by a fun ‘T-Party’ with Bandbazi leading activities for young people and senior colleagues and politicians delivering speeches to the practitioners present.
Speakers included Penny Thompson CBE, CEO of BHCC; Pinaki Goshal, Director of BHCC Children’s Services; councillors Bill Randall and Sue Shanks and Caroline Lucas MP.
Overall, 93 people attended the conference, 30 young people from Allsorts and other youth groups and 151 people in total attended both the conference and tea-party event.
Jess Wood MBE
Jess Wood MBE, co-Founder and Director, said:“We were thrilled with the uptake of places at the event. We put it on for a half-day with an optional a T-Party as we thought participants would not be able to spare a whole day from their jobs. From the feedback, we were pleased that our delegates wanted more of the same as this means they thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from what they got.”
Lucas Abedecain, co-President of Allsorts and conference organiser, added:“After a years of work and tireless dedication from the team, we are delighted the event was successful and that people now have across the city the skills and knowledge to think about Intersectionality starting to make a more inclusive Brighton & Hove. The fact that the first Tuesday of LGBT History Month is Children Young People and Families Day is a great honour and over the coming year we are dedicated to keep this day going from strength to strength.”
The day is becoming nationally recognised with other national organisations putting on spin off events
On February 21-22, The Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF) in Manchester held events in honour of the day and Allsorts hope that over the next year more organisations will start to see the importance of recognizing LGBT children, young people and families.
For LBGT Children, Young People and Families Day Allsorts launched two publications: ‘Allsorts Simple Guide to Digital and Social Media’ and ‘BHCC and Allsorts Trans Inclusion Toolkit.’
To download both publications from the Allsorts website, CLICK HERE:
LGBT Children, Young People and Families Day was staged with the help of the Pebble Trust, Moshimo and the Friends Meeting House.
New opera company Opera Undone to launch with a performance of Bellini’s I Capuletti e I Montecchi, at the Marlborough Theatre, Brighton on Wednesday, March 5
A night of vintage swing and cabaret is planned with internationally acclaimed ‘alternative’ cabaret acts adding spice to the night and providing a combination of burlesque and some ‘tongue-in-cheek’ naughtiness!
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